A GANG was today jailed for kidnapping a man from a city centre car park.

Mohammed Musa, 22, Joshua Folorunso, 22, and Pritpal Singh, 21 - all admit snatching Abdul Ibrahim from Tower Street car park on January 12.

Ringleader Folorunso was imprisoned for three years while his two “willing accomplices” were each given 20 month prison sentences.

The court heard the victim had appeared in Winchester Crown Court in an unrelated case and was followed back to a city car park by the men, all from Hayes in Middlesex.

The gang threatened Ibrahim if he didn't work for them supplying Class A drugs for six weeks, or pay £2,000, his family would be harmed.

The men forced their terrified captive into the back of a black Ford Focus.

Ibrahim was hit two or three times with a hammer and threats were made to pull out his finger nails, Winchester Crown Court heard.

Ibrahim was being driven back to London when the car was stopped by police on the M3 and all four men arrested.

A passer-by, who saw Ibrahim being bundled into the car, had alerted the police, telling them the make of car and registration number.

Edward Phillips, prosecuting, said a CCTV recording showed the men grabbed Ibrahim and bundled him into a car but much of the physical struggle was hidden by a pillar and it was not clear if a weapon was used.

Ibrahim told police he was repeatedly struck with a piece of metal and threatened during the car journey. At one point, the captive was told they were going to take him to woods and “nail clip” him.

Mr Phillips said: “By that he took it to mean that his nails would be pulled out.”

Ibrahim was initially reluctant to talk to the police who rescued him.

The court heard he had been on trial in Portsmouth Crown Court last August for supplying heroin and crack cocaine.

Sentencing, His Honour Judge Guy Boney QC, said all three men had given “doubtful and dishonest” explanations for being in Winchester on that day.

Judge Boney said the captive was “deeply frightened” by the experience and threats to his family. He said Folorunso, who had previous convictions for robbery and wounding, was the ringleader while the other two men were “willing accomplices.”

Folorunso was a full-time student at Essex University and had been on track for a first class degree while the other two, who had no previous convictions, worked in security.

Singh, who was previously of good character, worked at Heathrow Airport and his hopes of working in customs and excise were now dashed, the court heard.

Judge Boney reduced all three sentences by a third because of the guilty pleas.